New crematorium for the people of The Midlands
A brand new crematorium being built on Broad Lane, Essington in the Midlands, is due to open this summer.
Mercia Forest Crematorium is being developed by Westerleigh Group, the UK’s largest independent owner and operator of crematoria and cemeteries, with 37 other sites across England, Scotland and Wales, all set within beautifully-landscaped gardens of remembrance which provide pleasant, peaceful places for people to visit and reflect.
Located within more than 10 acres of beautiful woodland grounds, the new crematorium will be one of the most environmentally-friendly facilities of its kind in the country, serving the communities of Walsall, Wolverhampton and Cannock.
The crematorium will be able to support its diverse communities through suitably personalised service options.
The bereaved looking for a full attended service will benefit from a light, airy and welcoming contemporary chapel, able to seat 112 people with significant standing room. Large chapel windows will provide wide, pleasant views of the surrounding woodland landscape and an exit door will lead mourners to a sheltered floral tribute area.
A dedicated gallery for witnessing the coffin being carefully placed inside the cremator will be available to those who observe this as part of their final farewell traditions.
People seeking a simpler send off for their loved one will be able to take advantage of direct, unattended services provided by the crematorium also.
To personalise services, Mercia Forest Crematorium will be able to offer an almost unlimited choice of music, while two high-resolution screens will allow services to be customised with a slideshow, photographs and suitable written words.
Westerleigh Group is committed to reducing its impact on the environment. It was the first company in the sector to adopt environmental policy issued by the Federation of Burial and Cremation Authorities and is now working towards becoming net-zero business by 2032.
With that ambition in mind, Mercia Forest Crematorium will feature the latest, advanced filtration and abatement technology on its cremator, reducing the pollution as well as a programme of protecting and creating new wildlife habitats, retaining trees and enhancing native planting.
To help reduce the crematorium’s dependency on external energy sources, solar photovoltaics are being installed, as well as crematory heat recovery systems and other measures which will make the site as kind to the climate as possible.
Kevin Davies, regional manager for Westerleigh Group, said: “We understand the difficult journeys the bereaved take in saying their final farewell, and that finding a way of remembering their loved one is a very personal process that is deeply emotional.
“We provide the highest levels of exceptional care to the bereaved, ensuring they get an opportunity to create a uniquely personal funeral service to commemorate the life of their loved one.
“We are extremely proud of the new crematorium we are creating for the communities in and around Essington and are looking forward to supporting local families with the Westerleigh exceptional standards of service and care when Mercia Forest Crematorium opens this June.”
